Building construction



E. F. VENZIE 2,055,759

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Sept. 29, 1936.

Fil ed March 2, 1952 ATTO'RN EY Patented Sept. 29 1936 EdmondF. Ven'zie, Philadelphia, Pa., asslgnor, by

mesne assignments, to National Gypsum Comlpany, Buflalo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application Marclrz, 1932, Serial No. 596,208 6 Claims. (01. 72-110 This invention, generally stated, relates to a building construction and has more especial relation to a ceiling, wall, or partition structure in which plaster-boards, sheet rock, expanded metal, or equivalent mediums are employed.

It is common, and the most general, practice tomake use of various kinds ofmetal clips for attaching plaster-boards and the like with respect to the supporting structure. Practice has demonstrated that while such clips are eflicient for the purpose designed, nevertheless the cost of manufacture and time consumedby mechanics in adjusting the clips to position frequently adds materially to erection costs.

The leading object of the present invention is to overcome the above described disadvantages and provide a building structure in which the use of metal clips for plaster-boards or the like is eliminated in order to lower production and erection costs.

Other and further objects of the present inven-r tion reside in the provision of general details of construction and in the arrangement, combination, and connection of parts hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The invention consists of the novel structure hereinafter set forth.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying 'drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a celling structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in crossesection taken upon the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in cross-section taken upon the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the wire hanger shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a nail employed in my construction; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating the manner of supporting expanded metal panels where used instead of plaster board panels.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawing two forms thereof which are at present preferrd by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangelarge diameter.

ment and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral Ill designates a supporting structure as a floor of cementitious material. Em- 5 bedded at one end in the floor are a number of metal straps II the other ends of which straps have bolted thereto for suspension spaced parallel channel irons I2. Arranged beneath the channel irons I2 at right angles thereto are spaced l0 tube-like metal members or units l3 which are suspended from the channel irons I2 by means of wire hangers best seen in'Fig. 4. Each hanger comprises a single piece of wire bent to form parallel legs I4 terminating in feet which in pracl5 tice are caused to engage a channel iron 12 and have their free ends bent around the latter at l6, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The legs M are connected by a part it which is flattened, as best seen in Fig. 4, in order that a good seat may be accorded the inner faces of the tubular members or units I3 which abut thereon, it being understood that the legs M of a wire hanger straddle a tubular member or unit. Each tubular member or unit is split throughout its entire length as at I8 uponits inner face. In cross-section, see Fig.

3, it is to be noted that the width of the tubular member l3 at its outer portion exceeds the width of the latter at its inner or slotted portion. The purpose of this is so that in effect opposed continuous spring jaws 2d are provided at the slotted portion of said member or unit. These jaws incline inwardly'toward one another and the junctures of said jaws with the side walls of a tubular member are rounded as at 25 to seat properly with respect to a plaster-board. The innermost face of a tubular member is flat to provide a good abutting surface for a channel iron E2. The junctures of the side walls of a member i3 with the outer end thereof are rounded as at 26. -Hav- 40 ing abuttingrelation with the slotted faces of the tubular members or units i3 are positioned plasterboards W or equivalent ceiling, wall, or partition panels depending upon the class of work to be done. The plaster-boards l9 are secured in 5 position by means of specially designed nails best seen in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, a nail is pro.- vided with a dished resilient head 20 of relatively The shank 2! is of rectangular cross-section theterminal of which is provided with a pointed enlargement 22 which may be readily caused to enter a split portion I8 of a tubular member or unit l3, see Fig. 3. The shank 2i intermediate said enlargement 22 and the head it is provided with opposed shoulders 28 and the juncture of the pointed enlargement 22 with the shank 2| provides opposed shoulders 23. The latter shoulders after a nail has been driven home through a plaster-board seat upon the opposed spring jaws 24, which have yielded slightly in the passing therebetween of the enlarged point 22 of the nail and form an interlock of nail, tubular unit and plaster-board. In this connection it is to be noted that the dished head also yields slightly in driving a nail to place so that the tendency of the head is todraw the shoulders 23 in a direction toward the jaws 24. The dished head 20 when driven to place sinks into the plaster-board to furnish a good smooth surface.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 6 is similar in all respects to that above described with the exception that thereis disclosed a member 21 of expanded metal in .lieu of plaster-board. In using expanded metal, which is thinner than plasterboard, the same nails may be employed as above described. However, the opposed shoulders 28 seat upon the jaws 24 to interlock the parts together, the balance of the shank merely passing into the tubular unit. In this way a single type of nail may be employed for both plaster-board and expanded metal. It will be understood that when plaster-board is used the shoulders 28 merely embed themselves in the soft material of the plaster-board.

While a ceiling construction has been shown for illustrative purposes, obviously the invention is applicable to wall and partition erections, and panels of different varieties of material may be employed. Where hereinafter used in the claims the term wall is to be construed as including ceilings and partitions as well as side walls. Various modifications may be made in the above described embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a building construction, metal studs, tubular units each slitted throughout its length to form opposed spring jaws, said units being supported by said metal studs, at right angles thereto, panels arranged in abutting relation with the slitted faces of said units, said panels being secured to said units by means of nails, each of which is provided with a shoulder for engaging the jaws of a unit to form an interlock of parts.

2. In a building construction, metal studs, tubular units each slitted throughout its length to form opposed, inwardly extended, inclined spring jaws, said units being supported by said metal studs at right angles thereto, panels arranged in abutting relation with the slitted faces of said units, said panels being secured to said units by means of nails, each of which is provided with a shoulder for engaging the jaws of a unit to form an interlock of parts.

3. In a building construction, metal studs, tubular units each slitted throughout its length to form opposed spring jaws, said units being supported by said metal studs at right angles thereto,

panels arranged in abutting relation with the slitted faces of said units,said panels being secured to said units by means of nails each of which is provided with a pointed enlargement and a shoulder for engaging the jaws of a unit to form an interlock of parts.

4. In a building construction, metal studs, tubular units each slitted throug o t its length to form opposed spring jaws, said units being supported by said metal studs at right angles thereto, wire hangers engaging around said metal studs and units for fixed attachment thereof, panels arranged in abutting relation with the slitted faces of said units, said panels being secured to said units by means of nails, each of which is provided with a shoulder for engaging the jaws of a unit to form an interlock of parts.

5. A building construction comprising supporting means, a tubular unit having a slotted face with inwardly turning edges adjacent said slot made of resilient metal material whereby said edges tend to approach each other, a clip adapted to connect said unit to said supporting means comprising a U-shaped wire flattened at its base to carry the lower end of the unit and its upper end bent into a horizontal plane to contact with the upper surface of said channel and adapted to be bent thereabout, a wall panel, and means adapted to penetrate said panel for connecting said panel to said unit comprising a nail having shoulders adjacent its pointed end adapted to seat on the inwardly turned edges of said tubular unit.

6. A building construction comprising a cemen titious floor, metallic hangers suspended thereby, metallic channels, bolts for connecting said channels to said hangers, a tubular unit having a slotted face with inwardly turned edges adjacent said slot and made of resilient metal whereby said edges tend to approach each other, a clip adapted to hold said unit in contact with said channel comprising a U-shaped wire flattened at its base to carry the lower end of the unit and its upper end bent into a horizontal plane to contact with the upper surface of said channel and adapted to be bent thereabout, a wall panel, and means adapted to penetrate said panel for connecting said panel to said unit comprising a nail having shoulders adjacent its pointed end and adapted to seat on the inwardly turned edges of said tubular unit.

EDMOND F. VENZIE. 

